BIM used on Netherlands canal project

New Lock Terneuzen will form part of Europe’s Rotterdam-Paris Inland Waterway. © Van der Kloet Foto & Videoproducties

Joint venture company Sassevaart is using a building information modelling (BIM) platform from Allplan – a global design software company – for the construction of the New Lock Terneuzen in the Netherlands.

Currently under construction and measuring 427m long, 55m wide, and 16.4m deep, New Lock Terneuzen will form part of the Rotterdam-Paris Inland Waterway. Designed for larger vessels, the lock is intended to increase the capacity of the shipping route, which is already said to be one of the busiest and most important navigated canals in Europe.

Sassevaart, which comprises DEME Infra Marine Contractors, Dredging International, BAM Infra, BAM Contractors and Van Laere, is using Allplan Bimplus for its reinforcement data management.

The JV team is using BIM to help overcome the challenges of coordinating the construction works with various parties, while keeping the waterway and an additional temporary navigation channel open.

According to Allplan, the Bimplus platform gives all the project’s participants access to a central BIM model and enables the entire project team to easily review the reinforcement designs, provide feedback and assign and track tasks.

Silvy Santosa, BIM Specialist at BAM Infraconsult, said, “We gain time, efficiency, and accuracy by working collaboratively within one BIM model and gathering and sharing the information in the same platform, while also avoiding the loss of information. Therefore, creating and managing the information within our BIM model across the project lifecycle is the key to successfully delivering this project – hence why Allplan’s digital platform, Allplan Bimplus, had such an important role in our 3D reinforcement process.”

Allplan said access to a central BIM model also allows the project’s various teams to optimise their own processes, while giving all parties a better overview so that “clashes in reinforcement can be identified and addressed much earlier”. The software specialist added that sequencing, logistics and health and safety requirements could also be better integrated into the platform during planning.

Due for completion in 2023, the lock will allow inland vessels “smoother” passage between Belgium, France and the Netherlands and will also provide a more “robust lock complex” for seafaring vessels.